Question:
I don't want to learn the art of Japanese cooking, since I'm not the worlds best cook to begin with, but I thing it would be awesome to learn how to cook some stuff.
I'm looking for a book that has a wide variety of things to choose from: from breakfast to desert (and snacks?) from noodles to soups to hotpots to meats, etc. I'm not even sure if such an all inclusive book exists, but if you have any suggestions that would be awesome. :D
I don't care about levels of cooking or anything so even if you think of one that is advanced but has what I'm looking for please put it on here.
Also, before you say "google it", I have. There are too many books out there for me to pick from, and I can't even tell if they are what I want.
Thanks for the help!
Answer:
Japanese dishes are actually simple. It's the presentation that is hard and takes skills. But if you can forgo with the actual presentation, then are a lot of cookbooks you can find. Try to look for the one that has the recipe/dish you like or would like to try. You are right, you might not be sure if it's the one you like. I usually end up buy a lot of different books of the same cuisine just for the recipe. There are no one book that will cater to all I need or want - that is also true for professional chef. But learning the basic is the most important of knowing the cuisine. I've looked at different books for you and I found one that might be helpful to you.
http://www.amazon.com/Harumis-Japanese-C…It might still be a bit overwhelming, but learning where to get the ingredients will make it less overwhelming. Like DASHI is the basic stocks in Japanese cooking - it'll teach you how to make them. Me, I just go to an Asian store or Japanese store and buy Dashi (Japanese kind - fish stock, it's not fishy at all.) ready to use. You need Japanese SOY SAUCE (Kikkoman brand is very common), not just any soy sauce. Mirin is cooking sweet wine (not to be confused with SAKE, when asked for). Use Japanese vinegar or sushi vinegar - they are less sour than apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.
Now contrary to what people think MSG is not that bad. It's like salt, too much of it is bad; so, too much of MSG is bad, too, as with too much of sugar. MSG migraine is psychological unless too much of it, like with salt - although, there is always an exception. But never known anyone who got sick badly from it or died from it - else, there will be a lot of Eastern Asians dead and dying. I used to get migraine when I was young, but I found out that it's because my mom put tons of it. Now, I don't - using the right amount.
If you love Japanese Food, and have eaten Japanese food, you have eaten food with MSG. Japanese food always have MSG. US Chinese restaurants most of them don't use it, but still some people even without MSG, gets that migraine - seen it a lot of times.
Your basic cooking ingredients, available at Asian or Japanese stores.
Dashi
Kikkoman
Mirin
MSG
Sushi vinegar
I'll give you my Sukiyaki recipe - it can't get any simpler.
1/4 - 1/2 lb slice beef
1/4 - 1/2 lb slice or quartered mushroom
Hand full of Potato noodles or Yam noodles or Saifun (hard to find but, Saifun is easier)
1/2 lb Napa cabbage (or called Chinese Cabbage) cut to an inch square
all ingredients can be more or less as desire.
Melt about 2 tbsp butter in a pot. Layer slice beef, then noodles, then mushroom, then cabbage.
Mix thoroughtly 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup Mirin, 1 1/2 cup water, 3 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp Dashi, 1/2 tsp MSG (optional), 2 tbsp garlic powder, (option 1/2 cup Sake, dash of Black pepper). Pour mixture with the rest in the pot. Heat to boil, once it's boiling cover and turn heat to medium or low. Let it simmer for 20 minutes, making sure it has enough liquid else, add more water. When done, you can optionaly add a scramble egg in the Sukiyaki dish - but stirring it with the broth.
Tempura is easy. You can just get a Tempura mix and some shrimps and vegetables. It's just cooking dip fried battered food. You can get a Kikkoman Tempura sauce, available in most store that sells Kikkoman.
Once you get use to it, you'll most likely move to the next level of presentation or, not. Me, I don't even bother with the presentation, it's just the food that I like.
Here's a site with the Saifun noodles and a Japanese recipe with it.
http://1tess.wordpress.com/2008/07/07/fi…With the internet, I usually get my recipes online, and stopped buying books. One of the latest Japanese recipe that I got online is Kamemeshi rice dish.
Hope this help.
